How area lawmakers voted on various issues

House Bill 5365, 2012-2013 state budget (non-education part): Passed 20 to 16 in the Senate

The non-education part of an “omnibus” state government budget for the fiscal year that begins on Oct. 1, 2012. (House Bill 5372 contains school, college and university spending.) This would appropriate $34.355 billion, compared to $33.022 billion the previous year. Of this, $16.237 billion comes from state tax, fee and other revenue, and the rest is federal money ($18.118 billion, compared to $17.469 billion the previous year).

The House-Senate conference report for the school aid budget for the fiscal year beginning Oct. 1, 2012. This would appropriate $12.944 billion, compared to $12.659 billion the previous year. The bill would increase the per-pupil foundation grant to school districts that currently get less than average by $120, and other districts would get smaller increases based on student performance and their adoption of fiscal best practices.

The Department of Corrections budget for the fiscal year that begins Oct. 1, 2012. This appropriate $2.000 billion in gross spending, compared to $1.936 billion enrolled in 2011. A Senate-passed plan to save money by outsourcing the management of one prison was not agreed to by the House. This conference report was also folded into House Bill 5365.

31 Sen. Michael Green R - Mayville Y

32 Sen. Roger Kahn R - Saginaw Y

35 Sen. Darwin Booher R - Evart Y

36 Sen. John Moolenaar R - Midland Y

House Bill 4096, Place state spending information on-line: Passed 110 to 0 in the House

To require the state to post online a free searchable database containing the details of all agency purchases, contracts and grants.

93 Rep. Paul Opsommer R - Dewitt Y

94 Rep. Kenneth Horn R - Frankenmuth Y

95 Rep. Stacy Erwin Oakes D - Saginaw Y

96 Rep. Charles Brunner D - Bay City Y

97 Rep. Joel Johnson R - Clare Y

98 Rep. Jim Stamas R - Midland Y

99 Rep. Kevin Cotter R - Mt. Pleasant Y

House Bill 5196, Require government & school employee compensation disclosures: Passed 110 to 0 in the House

To require schools and local governments post online the number of employees in each job classification, total annual wages paid, the annual cost of benefits, and the terms of any severance agreement. The bill was introduced after a Wayne County political appointee severance pay scandal.

93 Rep. Paul Opsommer R - Dewitt Y

94 Rep. Kenneth Horn R - Frankenmuth Y

95 Rep. Stacy Erwin Oakes D - Saginaw Y

96 Rep. Charles Brunner D - Bay City Y

97 Rep. Joel Johnson R - Clare Y

98 Rep. Jim Stamas R - Midland Y

99 Rep. Kevin Cotter R - Mt. Pleasant Y

House Bill 5660, Exempt “drinks in bag” from bottle bill: Passed 91 to 19 in the House

To exclude “drink in a bag” containers from the state’s 10-cent bottle deposit mandate. Specifically, containers made of aluminum and plastic, or aluminum and paper, where the aluminum represents less than 20 percent of the unfilled container weight, and less than 5 percent of the total weight of the filled container.

93 Rep. Paul Opsommer R - Dewitt Y

94 Rep. Kenneth Horn R - Frankenmuth Y

95 Rep. Stacy Erwin Oakes D - Saginaw Y

96 Rep. Charles Brunner D - Bay City Y

97 Rep. Joel Johnson R - Clare Y

98 Rep. Jim Stamas R - Midland Y

99 Rep. Kevin Cotter R - Mt. Pleasant Y

House Bill 4513, Require kindergartners be 5 on Sept. 1: Passed 64 to 45 in the House

To require children to be age 5 by Sept. 1 to attend kindergarten, rather than by Dec. 1 under current law. This earlier age cut-off would be phased in one month at a time over three years, starting in 2013. A child who would have been eligible under the current requirements could still attend if the parents “opt in” by notifying the school by June 1. The phase-in and “opt-in” was negotiated because school districts get money from the state for each kindergartner, whose numbers would be reduced during the transition period

93 Rep. Paul Opsommer R - Dewitt Y

94 Rep. Kenneth Horn R - Frankenmuth Y

95 Rep. Stacy Erwin Oakes D - Saginaw N

96 Rep. Charles Brunner D - Bay City N

97 Rep. Joel Johnson R - Clare Y

98 Rep. Jim Stamas R - Midland Y

99 Rep. Kevin Cotter R - Mt. Pleasant N

House Bill 5365, 2012-2013 state budget (non-education part): Passed 61 to 49 in the House

The non-education part of an “omnibus” state government budget for the fiscal year that begins on Oct. 1, 2012. (House Bill 5372 contains school, college and university spending.) This would appropriate $34.355 billion, compared to $33.022 billion the previous year. Of this, $16.237 billion comes from state tax, fee and other revenue, and the rest is federal money ($18.118 billion, compared to $17.469 billion the previous year).

93 Rep. Paul Opsommer R - Dewitt Y

94 Rep. Kenneth Horn R - Frankenmuth Y

95 Rep. Stacy Erwin Oakes D - Saginaw N

96 Rep. Charles Brunner D - Bay City N

97 Rep. Joel Johnson R - Clare Y

98 Rep. Jim Stamas R - Midland Y

99 Rep. Kevin Cotter R - Mt. Pleasant Y

SOURCE: MichiganVotes.org, a free, non-partisan website created by the Mackinac Center for Public Policy, providing concise, non-partisan, plain-English descriptions of every bill and vote in the Michigan House and Senate. Please visit http://www.MichiganVotes.org.